Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada García

Co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel and arguably its more operationally important leader. While El Chapo was the public face, Zambada managed logistics, corruption networks, and institutional relationships. He evaded capture for decades, earning a reputation as the cartel’s “CEO.”

In July 2024, he was captured under extraordinary circumstances — reportedly lured onto a plane by Chapo’s son Joaquín Guzmán López, who flew him to the United States and surrendered both of them to American authorities. This betrayal triggered a major internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel, fracturing it into competing factions.